In the mountains of Cauca in Colombia, surrounded by tropical rainforest, lies the coffee farm Patio Bonito. Here, in the small coffee community of Pescador, Paola Trujillo was born into a life filled with coffee. She grew up among coffee trees with a family that early on taught her the value of community and sharing knowledge.
Her father, Carlos Arturo Trujillo, has been a coffee farmer for over 40 years and describes coffee growing as more than just a profession:
- Coffee is a passion and a philosophy of life.
Her mother, María Angela, taught Paola the importance of sharing knowledge, while her sister Angela Patricia gave her a deep understanding of unconditional love. Together, the family has created a foundation that goes far beyond the production of coffee itself.
From chemical engineer to coffee farmer
Paola studied chemical engineering at the Universidad Nacional in Manizales. After graduating, she worked for a while in a soap factory, but soon realised that she lacked purpose. At the same time, the family experienced a loss when her grandmother died and her father was left in mourning.
It was then that Paola made a crucial decision: She would go home and take responsibility for the coffee farm.
The first year was a brutal apprenticeship. Coffee prices were low, quality varied and the future was uncertain. Then Paola found hope in speciality coffee.
How Patio Bonito became a quality farm
The transition to speciality coffee required new knowledge and new collaborations. Paola gained experience from working with exporter Racafé and Tecnicafé, a coffee quality institute. There she learnt to cup, taste and evaluate coffee, while getting to know other specialty coffee farmers. When she returned to the farm, she found herself on the other side of the value chain, as a producer responsible for every step of the process.
She took everything she had learnt and tried out new methods for fermenting, drying and quality control of coffee. The results weren't always as expected, but the learning curve was steep.
Today, the farm has 9 hectares of coffee, where more than 45,000 coffee trees have been planted. They grow a wide range of varieties, including different bourbon varieties such as pink, orange, sidra and aji, geisha, castillo, colombia and SL28.
Several of the varieties are relatively new, which is a clear sign of the Trujillo family's courage to invest.
You can find coffee from Patio Bonito in our webshop here.
Women in coffee
An important aspect of Patio Bonito's development is the recognition of women's role in coffee production. When Solberg & Hansen visited the coffee farm in Pescador in August 2025, Paola explained how her parents have given her and her sister room to grow and take leadership. The farm is not just a workplace, but a life project and a symbol of empowerment.
The story of Patio Bonito is not just about crops, altitude and varieties. It's about generations, about Paola's courage, about failing and trying again, and about building something together as a family.
In the heart of Cauca, Patio Bonito stands as an example of how tradition and innovation can go hand in hand, and we are proud of the collaboration we have started with the Trujillo family.
